portion
See also: Portion
English
Etymology
From Middle English porcioun, from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpɔɹʃən/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɔːʃən/
- (Scotland, Ireland, other varieties without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA(key): /ˈpoəɹʃən/, /ˈpoːɹʃən/, /ˈpoɹʃən/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)ʃən
Noun
portion (plural portions)
- An allocated amount.
- That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything.
- One's fate; lot.
- Bible, Luke xii. 46
- The lord of that servant […] will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
- Keble
- Man's portion is to die and rise again.
- Bible, Luke xii. 46
- The part of an estate given or falling to a child or heir; an inheritance.
- Bible, Luke xv. 12
- Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.
- Bible, Luke xv. 12
- A wife's fortune; a dowry.
- 1613, William Shakespeare, The Two Noble Kinsmen, V. iv. 31:
- Commend me to her, and to piece her portion / Tender her this.
- 1613, William Shakespeare, The Two Noble Kinsmen, V. iv. 31:
Usage notes
Relatively formal, compared to the more informal part or more concrete and casual piece. For example, “part of the money” (both informal) but “portion of the proceeds” (both formal).
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
allocated amount
|
|
Verb
portion (third-person singular simple present portions, present participle portioning, simple past and past participle portioned)
- (transitive) To divide into amounts, as for allocation to specific purposes.
- (transitive) To endow with a portion or inheritance.
- Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans, blest. — Alexander Pope.
Usage notes
Synonyms
Derived terms
- portion off
- portion out
Further reading
- portion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- portion in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin portionem (accusative singular of portio).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɔʁ.sjɔ̃/
Audio (file)
Noun
portion f (plural portions)
Further reading
- “portion” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Anagrams
Interlingua
Noun
portion (plural portiones)
Swedish
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
portion c
Declension
| Declension of portion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | portion | portionen | portioner | portionerna |
| Genitive | portions | portionens | portioners | portionernas |
Related terms
- portionera
This article is issued from
Wiktionary.
The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike.
Additional terms may apply for the media files.